House of Commons Commission

Parliamentary Estate: Beverage Containers

Caroline Lucas: To ask the right hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, representing the House of Commons Commission, what recent assessment the Commission has made of the effect of the 25p surcharge on hot drinks served in disposable cups on the Parliamentary estate on (a) drinks sales and (b) disposable cup waste.

Tom Brake: In the nine months to September 2018, before the 25p surcharge, catering (non-banqueting) sales for hot beverages was £655,640 incl VAT. In the nine months to date, after the surcharge, hot beverage (non-banqueting) sales were £727,203 incl VAT.There has been a reduction from 58,000 paper cups per month being sold to 15,000 on average. It is not possible to count the number of such paper cups which enter Parliamentary waste containers, but visual observation of the contents of segregated compostable waste shows that many of the compostable cups are disposed of within the Estate.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Food: Imports

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU without a deal on 31 October 2019,   on the supply of fresh produce.

George Eustice: The UK’s high degree of food security is built on access to a range of sources including strong domestic production and imports from other countries. This will continue to be the case whether we leave the EU with or without a deal. Half of the food we eat is produced in the UK. The rest of our food is imported, with 30% coming from the EU and 20% from other countries. There will not be an overall shortage of food in the UK as a result of a no deal Brexit. However, there may be fluctuations in the availability and choice of certain seasonal products, such as fresh fruit. The UK has a high degree of self-sufficiency in some vegetables year-round including root vegetables, cabbage and potatoes, as well as certain fruits during the summer harvest season including strawberries and apples. Over the last three years Government has been working to prioritise the smooth flow of trade, particularly at channel ports, to minimise any disruption if the UK leaves the EU without a deal. This includes cross Government work to ensure traders and hauliers in the UK and the EU are prepared for changes to exporting and importing requirements; ensuring our approach to imports achieves a smooth flow of goods at UK ports; working with stakeholders, major ports and airports to ensure that they are making their own preparations for leaving the EU; and developing traffic management plans to manage any potential delays at the ports, for example Operation Brock in Kent.